Cake
by OzzyJ
Summary: When the murder of the swimming coach prevents Sharon attending a certain wedding, Andy brings a little piece of the wedding to her...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters below – I am only borrowing them – and will not be financially benefitting from the story in anyway. No copyright infringement is intended.

Spoilers: Yep.

Summary: What if Sharon didn't get to go to the wedding..?

Author notes: Now, this story is a first from me; I have created fluff!

Written for the **raydorflynn** prompt 'weddings' over on LJ.

After reading a lovely fic by alexmel21, the seed was planted that just maybe, because the swimming coach was shot in front of reporters, Sharon didn't get to go to the wedding.

So, thanks to alexmel21 for inadvertently planting the seed and to akachan kami for the fabulous last minute beta work!

Cake

"Alright, straight to bed." Sharon said through a yawn as she crossed the threshold to her apartment, with a sleepy teenager in tow.

"No arguments here." Rusty skulked past her, dragging his feet as he headed up the hall to his bedroom – having spent the last few hours trying to sleep in the break room.

Sharon locked up and turned; pressing her back against the front door, she closed her eyes and savoured the silence.

Major crimes had once again become embroiled in a suspect shooting. In front of hoards of reporters, Mr Torres had shot and killed the swimming coach that molested his son, and neither Sharon nor her detectives had seen it coming. If Brenda Lee Johnson was still in charge, Peter Goldman would be banging down their door. A stickler for the rules, Sharon knew that his precious 'Johnson Rule' had not been broken – but her detectives should have seen the signs.

Rusty's letter, DDA Rios, Andy's health and of course his daughter's wedding…The team had been a little preoccupied lately – Sharon included – but it was no excuse.

They shouldn't have missed it.

She sighed; pushing herself off of the door, she hung up her beige jacket and replaced it with a comfortable black cardigan as she moved through the moonlit apartment.

Sharon opened the refrigerator and the light it emitted filled the darkened kitchen; her stomach grumbled loudly as she searched for something light to eat - she was starving. As she refilled through the refrigerators contents, she couldn't help but wonder what food might have been served at Nicole's wedding.

Sharon huffed; she had truly been looking forward to attending the wedding with Andy - she hadn't realised quite how much until the opportunity was taken away.

Andy seemed so pleased that she had offered to attend the event with him. Even though she had suggested he told everyone that she was 'his friend Sharon', they both knew what would be assumed by other guests – and that was her intention.

Sharon had attended enough weddings without a 'plus one' to know how difficult they could be; attending one with your ex and their new partner took the situation to a whole new level. She couldn't let Andy face that alone. So what if a room full of strangers thought they were an item?

But alas, the shooting happened. Even before they had left the building, their plans to be an item for the night – albeit a fake one – were foiled… Andy had attended the wedding alone.

"Another time, another place."

As soon as the words fell from her lips, Sharon stopped searching for food and stood upright - her hand gripping the refrigerator door.

'_Another time, another place?' _She mentally shook herself, _'Where the hell did that come from?'_

Her empty stomach gurgled; the churning sensation made her feel nauseous and she swallowed audibly.

It had occurred to her today, once she had extended the offer of attending the wedding, that her reasons for doing so may not have been entirely… altruistic.

A married woman or not, if Sharon were truly honest with herself, the thought of being Andy's 'plus one' made her ache in entirely inappropriate places. It was a yearning that a good catholic wife should only have for her husband, and a Captain of the LAPD certainly shouldn't be having for her Lieutenant.

"You're pathetic," she said aloud to the empty room as she grabbed a slice of Rusty's left over pizza and shut the refrigerator door.

Her husband showing up out of the blue had shaken Sharon up - that was for sure.

Regardless of the circumstances concerning their separation – when Jackson stayed over – ordinarily, he would spend at least one night in her bed. That certainly wasn't going to happen when Rusty was in the next room.

To an outsider it may look like she was being used; but to Sharon – their arrangement gave her something she needed, something that she didn't allow herself to look for outside of her marriage.

It was convenient - and it was the one remaining thing that they still did well together.

Besides, throughout their separation - Sharon's focus had been on her kids and her career - which didn't leave much time for dating. In all that time, there had been no man that had turned her head - no man had made her question why she hadn't divorced her estranged husband.

That was, until now.

Before Sharon had the chance to explore that train of thought, she heard her phone beep in the distance; it was still in her purse which she had dropped by the front door.

'_What now?'_

Sighing heavily, Sharon padded through the sitting area to retrieve her phone - absently hoping that the pizza she was about to eat was only left over from yesterday.

She switched on a lamp and fished the phone out of her purse. As she chewed on a mouthful of dry and wholly unappetizing pizza, she frowned when she read the name on the display.

Lt Flynn

Sharon stopped chewing; she felt her stomach fluttering as she opened the message.

'Hey Captain, you still awake?'

She stood, frozen in the gloomily lit apartment - her phone in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other. Considering the improper thoughts that had filled her mind just moments ago – Sharon knew she should ignore the message… but against her better judgement, she took another bite of cold pizza and replied to the text.

'Case wrapped up – just getting a post-midnight snack. How was Nicole's wedding?'

Sharon shrugged; her reply was casual enough.

'_There's nothing wrong with colleague's chatting late at night about things not related to work_,' she rationalised.

After all, even though nobody else in the team actually knew she had offered to attend the wedding with Andy - it was never meant to be a secret.

As she turned on her heel to deposit the stale pizza crust in the trash, the last thing Sharon expected was soft rapping at her front door.

She spun around to face the knocking – but didn't move another inch. Her heart beat loudly in her chest; she already knew who was on the other side of the door and that was what scared her.

The second knock broke Sharon out of her trance and she moved forwards, bracing herself with a deep breath as she unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"Lieutenant Flynn," she painted on a smile, "what are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

Andy Flynn stood in the communal hallway, looking dapper in his tuxedo. "Hey Captain, everything's fine. The ride home brought me past here and I…" He looked down at the floor and shifted his feet; Sharon didn't think she had ever seen him look nervous before.

Taking pity on him, this time she smiled genuinely and opened the door a little wider. "Would you like to come in, Andy?"

He looked up and smiled back, "Sure, thanks."

As he entered, she shut the front door behind him - instantly plunging them into darkness.

"Times hard, Captain?" Andy joked nervously as Sharon brushed past him to turn on a nearby lamp.

She smiled tightly, "well, feeding a growing boy is expensive." It was meant as a joke, but delivered flatly as she stepped around him and signalled awkwardly with her arm to usher him into the kitchen – avoiding eye contact. His very presence in her home was making her feel like a gawky teenager.

'_What is wrong with me?'_

"Can I get you something to drink?" She dropped the pizza crust that she had squeezed to a doughy mess, into the trash and rinsed her hands under the tap. "I have decaf."

"Decaf would be great."

Andy hovered in the space between the kitchen and the sitting room as Sharon busied herself making coffee.

'_What is he doing here?'_

"So how was the wedding?" She asked, crossing her arms at her chest and leaning against the counter as the coffee brewed - finally looking Andy in the eye. The top button on his white dress shirt was open, the black bowtie hung loosely around his collar and a single burgundy handkerchief added the only splash of colour in his outfit; he really did look handsome. "You certainly look the part."

"What? This old thing?" He joked, eliciting a small laugh from Sharon as he stepped forwards to join her in the kitchen. "It was great. Nicole looked beautiful – I'm so pleased I decided to go."

"Good – I'm just sorry I couldn't go with you." Sharon dropped her arms to her sides, placing the heel of her hands on the countertop, "I really do love weddings."

"I'm sorry too." He stared at her intently for a moment then took a step closer, it was only then that Sharon noticed he was carrying a brown paper bag. He offered it up to her and she took it gingerly, a look of bewilderment on her face.

"What's this?"

"Wedding cake." He answered simply, "I figured that if you were nice enough to offer to go with me, then the least I could do was bring you some cake."

"Andy I… thank you. That's incredibly sweet…" Sharon opened the bag and saw three separately wrapped packages, "… there's three in here."

"Yeah," Andy tapped the side of the bag, "one's for Rusty, one's for you and well… one's mine."

She frowned at him; he was looking sheepish again.

"I was kind of hoping that we could eat it now… together I mean – if you're not you know, on a diet or something…"

Sharon's eyes widened temporarily, her expression softening to a smile when she saw panic registering on Andy's face.

"Not that you need to go on a diet or anything I just meant that…"

"Andy," she calmed him by placing a hand on his forearm. "It's okay; we can eat some cake with the coffee."

As Sharon turned away from Andy, she heard him sigh with relief and she smiled; it appeared that she wasn't the only one that was jittery about this little late night soirée.

She poured the coffee and placed two slices on separate side plates – handing one to Andy. "We should eat this on the balcony - Rusty's just gone to bed."

"Lead the way," Andy collected his coffee mug from the counter and followed her outside.

It was a clear night; as clear as it could be in smog ridden LA. There was a warm breeze gently blowing through the air – a welcome relief from the mugginess of the past few nights.

Andy placed his cup and plate on a small wicker table that sat between two chairs of a similar ilk. He removed his jacket and hung it over the back of the chair and after pulling on his trousers slightly, to loosen them around his knees, he took a seat.

Sharon, who was already seated, watched Andy making himself comfortable; it appeared that he was in no hurry to leave, which despite the late hour, pleased her greatly.

"It's nice out here." Andy noticed Sharon watching him.

She looked away shyly, steering her gaze out across the City of Angles. "It is," she agreed with a nod, closing her eyes and feeling the breeze on her face. "I don't get to sit out here as much as I'd like," she made a face, "paperwork."

Andy chucked and took a sip of his coffee, "The cake's double chocolate with a macadamia mousse filling." He informed Sharon as he saw her pick up her slice of cake. "It's Nicole's favourite – it's from this little bakery near Hancock Park."

"You paid for it?"

"Yeah," Andy nodded, placing his mug on the table and retrieving his own slice of cake. "And the rest."

Sharon smiled knowingly as she bit into the sponge cake; she closed her eyes and hummed in pleasure as she got a taste of the mousse filling – it was exquisite.

When she opened her eyes, Andy was staring right at her - wide eyed.

Sharon blushed. "It's really good," she offered in explanation.

"You don't say, Meg Ryan."

Sharon blushed a darker shade of crimson at his 'When Harry Met Sally' reference and swatted his arm with the back of her hand.

"Ouch," he feigned pain. "You wound me."

"Serves you right." Sharon retorted with a smirk as she returned to eating cake – this time with much less enthusiasm.

"Are your kids married?"

"No," Sharon shook her head as she swallowed some cake down with a swig of coffee. "But something tells me that the 'mother of the bride' will be paying for those weddings."

"Right," Andy finished his own cake and placed the empty plate on the table. "What's the deal with you and Jackson anyway? Don't get me wrong, I like the guy but – why are you still married to him."

Sharon should have been shocked at Andy's line of questioning. She should have told him that her relationship with her husband was none of his damn business… yet when she looked at the sincere expression on his face, she did the last thing she thought she'd do – she opened up.

"I don't know." She sighed and placed her empty plate on the table, picking up her coffee mug. "I guess in the beginning, when we first separated – I kept hoping he would change. That he'd wake up one day and quit the drink and quit the gambling; that he'd be a better father, a better husband."

"But that day never came?"

"He got sober, joined Gamblers Anonymous…" Sharon looked into the distance, staring at nothing in particular and shook her head softly, "but he was still a selfish son-of-a-bitch. He still had no time for his kids – and he never really stopped playing poker."

"It must have been hard."

"It was." She looked at Andy now, she saw pain in his eyes and realised that some of what she was saying - he had lived, but just from an opposite perspective. "We nearly lost the house – we had to sell the TV, my car…I kicked him out when my eldest was eight."

"Did he stay in touch with the kids?"

"No," Sharon said breathily, "no – he just disappeared. The kids were mad at me…" her voice cracked as she spoke; it had been so long since she had spoken about those painful times. "They didn't understand… they just missed their daddy."

"Hey," Andy leant into the space between the chairs and covered her hand that gripped the arm rest with his own. "You got them through it."

Sharon held his gaze as he held her hand; that moment seemed so fragile – like the smallest movement could shatter them both into a million pieces. They both bore emotional scars; their mid-lives thwarted by the pain of an addiction – witnessing the turmoil it caused from opposing sides.

But he had changed. Andy Flynn had gotten better – he had grown as a man, reconnected with his child and walked her down the aisle.

One thing was for sure - Andy Flynn was not Jackson Raydor.

"So why now?" Andy broke the silence, removing his hand and relaxing back into the chair. "Your kids are grown – why are you still married to the jack-ass?"

A small voice in the back of Sharon's mind said 'sex' and she almost spurted coffee though her nose just imagining how Andy would react to that revelation. Instead, she tilted her head to one side as she contemplated how best to answer his question.

"Well, we're catholic – so you know, divorce is frowned upon… but honestly I suppose it's more for financial reasons." She shifted in her seat and took another sip of coffee. "I worked very hard to get back on track. I paid for my kids to go through college, bought this place and I've even managed to keep a little back for my retirement. If I divorce Jackson - he gets half."

"You've been separated for 20 years. Get a good lawyer – you're friends with Gavin Baker, I know divorces aren't his speciality but…"

"Honey," Sharon did her best impression of the flamboyant lawyer, raising a smile from Andy. "If I had to pay Gavin Q. Baker to be my attorney – I may as well give Jackson half. Gavin doesn't do pro-bono."

They shared a smile; their gazes lingering before Sharon interrupted the moment with yawn.

"Sorry," she covered her mouth with the back of her hand. "I haven't been sleeping very well lately."

"Me neither," Andy concurred, getting to his feet and looking at his wrist watch. "But it's late; I should let you get some sleep."

Sharon nodded in agreement; even though it pained her that the night was over, they both had to work in the morning.

In silence, they cleared the crockery into the kitchen and then Sharon walked Andy to the door. Once he'd opened it, he turned back to face her.

"Well, thank you for stopping by, Andy." Sharon clutched the handle leant against the open door as she spoke, "the cake was a lovely gesture."

"Hey, you were willing to face my crazy family – the cake was nothing."

She smiled warmly at him, "Well, all the same."

Andy bowed his head and turned slightly, as if to leave, yet something stopped him and he returned to face her. "Sharon I erm…"

She looked at him expectantly.

"For what it's worth, I think you deserve better."

"I'm Sorry?" She frowned.

"Than Jackson," Andy explained. "You're an attractive, intelligent, kind hearted woman – you deserve better than him. You should be with someone that'll take care of you, that'll treat you right."

It felt to Sharon, like her heart was melting; the heat radiated through her whole body as she listened to his kind words, as she saw the sincerity in his dark brown eyes. "Andy I…"

Andy shrugged his shoulders dismissively, "Hey, I call 'em as I see 'em."

Sharon smiled. "You do, don't you."

"And you never know," Andy's expression turned serious, and he moved closer "that man, - he might be right around the corner."

Sharon squirmed at his proximity, but before she could pull back, without warning, Andy leant in and placed a lingering kiss to her cheek. His breath warmed her skin; a puff of air disturbed the wisps of hair near her ear, causing her to shiver as he added in a gravelly tone, "Or he might be right under your nose."

Sharon inhaled sharply as Andy pulled away and walked backwards down the corridor. "Just think about it," he added with a lopsided smile before turning and heading for the elevator. "Good night, Captain," he called over his shoulder as he rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

"Good night," Sharon finally choked a response to the empty corridor.

After a moment, Sharon closed the door and for a second time that night, slumped back against the wooden surface.

The end

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Notes:** I know I said this was a one shot – but now there will be three! I've had a couple of requests to expand on it and I when I was thinking about what I could write the lovely Urania16 for her b-day gift, I came up with this!

Happy Birthday Urania16

Thanks to Mellow_mel for her fabulous beta

**Disclaimer:** See Part 1!

Cake - Chapter 2

Sharon sat silently in her car, her hands flexing around the leather steering wheel as she stared at the faceless apartment building dead ahead.

The streetlight above her car flickered rhythmically; that flickering combined with the pounding of her own heart felt hypnotic. Sharon was in a state of flux; she had never done anything so out of control in her life…

'_Just think about it….'_ Andy had said casually - almost cockily - as he left her standing in her doorway that night.

Sharon had thought about it; every time she saw him, every time she was alone, every time somebody mentioned cake…all the damn time.

It was driving her to the point of distraction.

Sometimes it angered her - the fact that Andy could just so calmly insinuate that '_maybe he was the man for her_'… just so simply throw it out there like it were the easiest thing in the world.

She was married, they worked together, she was his boss – and above all it was against the rules. This situation was far from simple and Sharon felt it cruel of Andy to parade it in front of her like it was a real possibility.

It wasn't. They couldn't. She couldn't…

Yet here she was; sat outside his apartment, trapped inside her own head.

Even if they did something about this infatuation…it couldn't last; this was 'Andy Flynn' – the man had huge a back catalogue of 'conquests' and made no secret of the fact. Combining a forbidden interdepartmental relationship with Sharon's reputation for being an ice queen…it certainly made it more exciting…made her more of a challenge.

Sharon knew that Andy cared for her, but was it worth risking their jobs and their friendship for a flash in the pan affair?

_What would happen once he got bored?_

Sharon reluctantly released the steering wheel and pushed a shaky hand through her thick hair.

'_What am I doing here?'_

No matter how hard she tried, Sharon couldn't fight her attraction. Like a moth to a flame, Andy drew her in; he had kept his professional distance, but with lingering glances and fleeting touches he made his presence and his attraction to her known.

He was driving her crazy.

Despite her resistance, every passing day since Andy had revealed that their attraction was mutual, Sharon found herself drifting closer and closer towards the edge of rationality. Now she was teetering on the precipice, poised to throw caution to the wind and herself into his arms.

And what was the catalyst for this uncharacteristic turn of events? Just the inquisitive mind of a teenage boy.

xXx

_Earlier that night…._

As the credits rolled, Sharon stretched out on the couch and eyed her foster son suspiciously. She had been surprised that Rusty had actually chosen to watch yet another version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Having studied the play for school last year, she had thought that he would have had his fill of the story, but it was clear by the puzzled expression on his face that something had been playing on his mind.

"A penny for your thoughts?" She asked as she swung her feet off the couch and pushed the blanket from her legs.

"What?" Rusty, who had been deep in thought, looked up from his position on the arm chair, a frown creasing his brow.

"You look confused about something."

He shrugged; "I guess I just don't get it."

Now it was Sharon's turn to frown, as she got to her feet and grabbed their drinking glasses from the table. "What don't you get?"

"The whole suicide pact thing…." He got to his feet and followed her into the kitchen, coming to rest against the counter as she filled the dishwasher. "It just seems a little…farfetched."

"Well," Sharon opened a cupboard door and took out a dishwasher tablet, "although it's a fictional story, Rusty – being in love can make rational people do some very irrational things. "

"But suicide?"

"Oh, it happens." She shut the dishwasher door and pressed the start button.

"You've been in love, right?"

"I have." Sharon crossed her arms over her chest, a soft smile touching her lips.

"What did it feel like?"

"Well," Sharon was a little taken aback by the directness of his question. "It's hard to describe, Rusty…"

"I mean, I understand familial love. I love my mom and you know…you…" At this admission, Rusty avoided her gaze and looked embarrassed; Sharon's smile broadened as he continued. "But how does it feel in be _'in'_ love? I can't imagine ever being so into someone that I like, want to hurt myself."

"Well," Sharon rocked back on her heels, "Romeo and Juliet's love was a little more complicated…it was forbidden by their families and they knew that they could never be together in life."

"Yeah, I get that," Rusty pushed his hair out of his eyes, "but…What does it feel like? When do you know that it's real love and not just a really good friendship?"

"It's difficult to describe...You just kind of know." Sharon's eyes narrowed, her interest piqued as she realised that Rusty may in fact be talking about his feelings for somebody he knew. "Are you talking about anybody in particular or…"

"No." He answered a little too sharply, "I'm just asking."

"Oh," Sharon responded with a knowing smile and turned to rinse her hands in the sink. If Rusty wasn't happy to discuss his love life with her, she wasn't going to push the matter.

"You're still married to Jack," Rusty continued his line of questioning, "so you must still love him, right?"

"Rusty," Sharon warned as she turned back to face him, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel; Rusty knew that she didn't feel comfortable discussing her marriage with him.

"Right, talking about Jack is off bounds." Rusty raised his hands in defeat and backed away from the counter. "Forget I asked."

"Rusty," Sharon felt a rush of guilt; she knew that love wasn't the easiest subject for any teenager to broach with an adult, but considering Rusty's family background and sexual history…it must be more confusing. She couldn't blame him for being curious about her relationship with Jackson – the least she could do is be honest with him. "Rusty, wait."

Rusty stopped by the refrigerator and reluctantly turned to face her.

"In some way I will always love Jackson," Sharon spoke sincerely, taking a step towards the young man. "He is the father of my children and we have a long and complicated history. But I am not 'in' love with him. I haven't been for a very long time."

Rusty looked as puzzled as he did when they had started their conversation; Sharon touched his arm as she walked past him into the living room. "Honey, don't worry about it. When you feel it – you'll know."

"Will I know right away?" He spun to face her; still unsatisfied with her answer.

"You mean love at first sight?" Sharon grabbed the remote from of the table and switched off the TV.

Rusty nodded.

"Maybe," she shrugged. "More often than not though – it's something that grows over time, as you get to know the person."

"But what does it feel _like_?"

Sharon sighed and sunk to perch on the side of the armchair – it was clear that Rusty wasn't going to drop the matter, but she was struggling to reconnect with her emotions; she'd spent the best part of 20 years trying to suppress them.

She thought of Jack; he was her one and only love… he had been dashing and handsome…but the emotions felt too distant…too damaged to discuss. Instead, to her surprise Sharon found herself thinking about a certain lieutenant…

"It's…consuming." She said flatly, a little disturbed at her train of thought.

"Consuming?"

"That feeling of falling in love…" she clarified. "It's so…it's so all-encompassing…one day you're just minding your own business, living your life and suddenly there's this person." With each passing word, a realisation dawned; what Sharon had assumed was a crush, some silly infatuation with Andy…was actually something much more dangerous. "They fill your thoughts every waking minute of the day – you can't get them out of your head. You long to be close to them…imagining living your life without them makes your heart, physically ache. And if you're lucky enough…it's requited."

Sharon's stomach clenched, _'Oh God.'_

"So like, if you're lucky enough to feel that and have the other person feel it too, then you should just go for it?"

"Well," Sharon carefully contemplated his question. "Every situation is different, Rusty. I'd say that the feelings of all parties involved definitely need to be taken into consideration." She tried to keep the conversation focussed on him and the person he may be talking about; pushing her own emotions to the back of her mind.

"You mean if they already have a partner or something?"

"You can't always help who you fall in love with Rusty," she said solemnly. "And sometimes…even though it hurts, you have to walk away."

"Do the right thing, huh?"

"Exactly." Sharon smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Okay, but what if it's your own feelings that you are worried about."

"If you're scared of being hurt?"

"Yeah."

"Well," Sharon looked into the boys eyes; his hopeful gaze was untarnished. His young life, although turbulent, had still to suffer the agony of a broken heart…though his past made him cautious. "I'd say that sometimes Rusty, you just have to take that chance."

Rusty nodded and this time, seemingly satisfied, he turned and headed to his room…leaving Sharon alone in the darkened sitting room with her own advice.

xXx

She should have just stayed in bed; things like this always felt better in the morning. But instead, against her better judgement, Sharon had left her apartment in the middle of the night and driven across town - all because of the advice she had given to a teenage boy.

It didn't make sense - it was unlike her to do something so irrational.

'_Love makes rational people do irrational things.' _

"Damn it." Sharon cursed under her breath.

It had occurred to Sharon, as she lay in bed, that her reasons against a starting a relationship with Andy, were not completely founded.

In fact, picking holes in her excuses had been incredibly easy once she had set her mind to it.

So she was married; Sharon was fairly certain that Jack hadn't remained faithful since their separation…honestly, she wasn't entirely certain that he had been faithful before their separation.

The work element was a little more complicated…but fighting her attraction couldn't be any less distracting than giving in to it…could it? Sharon could hardly focus around Andy as it was – surely removing some of that…tension would be a good thing?

Then there was the rule; no interdepartmental relationships. It was the responsibility of the officers involved to report any relationship to their superiors immediately. In normal circumstances, the officers would be reassigned…but Sharon's situation was far from normal.

She was one of the highest ranking female officers in charge of the most elite division of detectives in the LAPD. Assistant Chief Taylor would make an example of her in a heart-beat – she'd be forced into retirement.

But that was only _if _he found out.

Sharon shook her head and sneered at the irony; Captain Raydor, former head of FID, was actually considering breaking a rule that she herself had enforced.

The final thought that passed through her mind, the thing that propelled her from her bed and into her car, hadn't occurred to her until her conversation with Rusty that evening.

She was afraid.

Sharon was afraid of being hurt, she was afraid of rejection, of investing too much in something that may never be.

She didn't even know if Andy felt the same way….Which was exactly what she was there to find out.

'_Sometimes, you just have to take that chance.' _

**TBC**

A bit on the mushy side for me huh!?


End file.
